The present invention relates to a quick release cover assembly for liquid filter housings such as those used for filtering fuel and oil on diesel locomotives. Such covers must provide a tight seal to prevent fluid leakage and be removable to allow access to the filter housing interior to enable one to replace the filter element held therein. The liquid filter housings currently in use generally employ multiple swing mounted bolts for securement of the access cover. While such an arrangement provides the necessary fluid tight seal when properly secured, the bolts and the protruding ears on the housing by which the bolts are held occupy an inordinate amount of exterior space. Further, improper securement of the bolts can result in leakage and changing of the filter elements requires an excessive amount of time and labor. Because these filters are used in the railroad industry, the fact that filter replacement requires the use of a tool prevents the filter element from being changed by an ordinary laborer, further increasing the time and hence the expense of the operation.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide an access cover assembly for such filter elements which minimizes the chances for error in securing the cover to insure a fluid tight seal, which is easily removable without the use of a tool to facilitate filter replacement and which provides more access space about the filter housing to allow the housing to be accommodated in areas previously insufficient for that purpose. The cover assembly described and claimed herein attains these objectives.